On January 12, 2023, under the guidance of the China Association of Agricultural Science Societies, International Symposium among the Countries of “the Belt and Road” on Soybean Breeding hosted by South China Agricultural University (SCAU), China-Latin America Agricultural Education and Research Innovation Alliance (CLAERIA) and the Belt and Road China-Brazil Soybean Science and Technology Innovation Institute was successfully held. Professor Chu Chengcai, Dean of the College of Agriculture of SCAU, and Facundo Fernández Guerra, Acting Consul General of Uruguay in Guangzhou, delivered welcoming speeches. Experts and scholars from China, Brazil, Sudan and Pakistan made keynote speeches at the Symposium. Ms. Yuan Juhua, Deputy Director of the Office of International Relations of SCAU, presided over the meeting.

In his speech, Prof.Chu Chengcai introduced the basic situation of SCAU and the develoment of the CLAERIA, and proposed that the Belt and Road soybean research cooperation should actively focus on the Belt and road national agricultural cooperation action plan, enhance the strength of soybean seed industry with science and technology, strengthen the cultivation of new varieties of high-quality functional soybeans, continuously improve the quality and efficiency of soybeans to revitalize the soybean industry and maintain the food security of the countries along the Belt & Road.

Mr. Facundo Fernández Guerra, the Acting Consul General of Uruguay in Guangzhou, addressed that Uruguay's soybean industry has developed rapidly as the country's main grain export crop and its soybean production and bilateral trade with China is getting closer. It is expected that the two sides will achieve more fruitful results in soybean scientific and technological innovation and industrial cooperation.

Professor Si Wei, post scientist of soybean system economics, Dean of the School of Economics and Management of China Agricultural University, Professor Nian Hai from SCAU, Professor Yang Feng from Sichuan Agricultural University, Dr. Ricardo Ariolli, President of the Brazilian General Chamber of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Dr. Mohammed Awad, International Program Officer of the Sudan AFI Group, Associate Professor Fahd Rasul and Zaheer Ahmed of the Pakistan Agricultural University, and Mr. Facundo Fernández Guerra respectively made keynote speeches on soybean import, soybean industry, food security, soybean breeding progress. The experts also discussed soybean breeding and cooperation prospects of the Belt and Road countries, and Prof. Si Wei and Dr. Ricardo Ariolli made concluding remarks on behalf.

The Belt and Road China-Brazil Soybean Science and Technology Innovation Institute is one of the two programs approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China in 2021. Under the guidance of China Association of Agricultural Science Societies, a series of specific activities have been carried out combining with the practice of CLAERIA. SCAU has strengthened the exchanges and cooperation with the Belt and Road countries in soybean breeding, production and industry while working with universities, institutions and enterprises in Brazil, Pakistan, Senegal, Sudan and other countries. This seminar contributed to soybean-related researches and its industrialization process by improving the mutual understanding of some professional problems. SCAU will be committed to working with counterparts from the Belt and Road countries.

Some Chinese experts including Prof.Wang Yingxiang, Dean of the College of Life Sciences, graduate students and staff from SCAU participated. Nearly 100 experts and enterprise representatives from Asia, Africa and Latin America attended in total.